Answer: Envelop vs. Envelope
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fandom_grammarToday, we're going to take a look at the confusion in when to use envelop versus when to use envelope, with a little help from our friends over at Swingtown.
Both envelop and envelope are derived from envoluper, an Old French verb that means "to wrap up." At face value, there's a single letter marking the difference between these words. Dig a little deeper, and you find more than that.
Envelop is a verb that was first used in the 14th century. While it does have a noun form, envelopment, its primarily used as a verb.
First used in the 18th century, envelope is a noun. Envelopes themselves can be dated back to use in the Middle East in 3500-3200 B.C., though they looked nothing like modern envelopes, of course. There are several meanings for the word envelope, but the primary ones that most writers will use involve wrappings.
In the end, I think the best way to remember the difference between these words is that an envelope is usually made of paper, hence the extra 'e' at the end of the word. Or, for a sillier approach, consider the following joke that I found on Grammar-Monsters.com:
Resources:
Both envelop and envelope are derived from envoluper, an Old French verb that means "to wrap up." At face value, there's a single letter marking the difference between these words. Dig a little deeper, and you find more than that.
Envelop is a verb that was first used in the 14th century. While it does have a noun form, envelopment, its primarily used as a verb.
- to enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
Lost in the sight of the waves lapping at the shore, Trina was startled to realize how cold she was as a warm blanket enveloped her, accompanied by the familiar scent of Tom's cologne.
- to mount an attack on (an enemy's flank)
The second she stepped into the Playroom, Janet felt utterly oppressed by the horde of what she felt were sexual deviants enveloping her.
First used in the 18th century, envelope is a noun. Envelopes themselves can be dated back to use in the Middle East in 3500-3200 B.C., though they looked nothing like modern envelopes, of course. There are several meanings for the word envelope, but the primary ones that most writers will use involve wrappings.
- a flat usually paper container (as for a letter)
By the end of the day, Trina had a stack of party invitations in their envelopes and a dry, swollen tongue from licking them.
- something that envelops : wrapper
Janet happily cut into the plastic envelope to get to the bacon inside.
- a set of performance limits (as of an aircraft) that may not be safely exceeded; also : the set of operating parameters that exists within these limits
"I don't know," Tom said to Trina over dinner. "If everything I'm reading about the performance envelope is right, I just don't think I'll like flying this new 757 that they're talking about. I love the way the 747 handles."
In the end, I think the best way to remember the difference between these words is that an envelope is usually made of paper, hence the extra 'e' at the end of the word. Or, for a sillier approach, consider the following joke that I found on Grammar-Monsters.com:
Q: What word starts with 'e', ends in 'e', but only has one letter in it?
A: Envelope.
Resources:
- envelop @ Merriam-Webster.com
- envelope @ Merriam-Webster.com
- envelope @ Wikipedia
- Envelop vs. envelope @ Grammarist.com
- envelop/envelope
- Word Confusion: Envelop versus Envelope @ KD Did It
- envelop and envelope - the difference @ Grammar-Monster.com
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21/5/13 03:39 (UTC)no subject
21/5/13 03:47 (UTC)